Helen Landalf was born in San Diego, California, where she grew up with her two brothers, one of whom has autism. His beautiful artwork can be seen in her picture book THE SECRET NIGHT WORLD OF CATS, which he illustrated, and on the cover of MOVEMENT STORIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. When Helen was fifteen years old, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Although she recovered, it was an experience that made a dramatic impact on her life. Perhaps because her teen years were so difficult, she became inspired to write for Young Adults. Her debut YA novel, FLYAWAY, about a girl who struggles to deny her mom's addiction to meth, releases from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Fall 2011. When she's not writing, Helen works as a certified Pilates instructor and teaches Creative Dance to preschoolers. She has authored / co-authored five books for teachers about integrating dance and drama into the preschool and elementary classroom. Helen resides in Seattle, Washington.